Mile High Apple Pie by Laura Langston

So last night we had our local Children's Literature Roundtable meeting with a disappointing 9 people showing up. Sadly, the group has dwindled from almost 100 members in the past, to 30-something these days, with often only a handful making it to any one meeting. There are dozens of Roundtables across the country with the mandate to promote and support children's literature in Canada. Last night's meeting was a presentation of the best in recent children's books from picture books to young adult titles. Cadboro Bay Books presented with my daughter Ali, who runs the store 5 days a week, doing early readers, juvenile, young adult and fantasy, and the owner taking on picture books. So many wonderful books. I wish I could buy them all. I did purchase a couple, and will use them when I go into schools to give author presentations. I always like to have a few recommendations on hand for kids and teachers. Check out Ali's blog to get her list. Her blog is Can't Stop Reading. While Ali often turns me on to wonderful new books, here's one that I discovered all on my own. Mile High Apple Pie by Laura Langston who just happens to be a local writer. This picture book has just not garnered the notice it should have. It is one of those understated gems that deals with a tough subject (Alzheimer's in a grandparent) from a child's perspective. No preaching here, but the simplicity of the insight blows me away. A bonus is the recipe for 'mile high apple pie" which you can make with your kids or grandkids, or just borrow a kid for the afternoon and give an over-worked parent a bit of free time. Whatever you do, pick this one up today, and if you don't have anyone to give it to, donate it to your local school. They'll love you.